Jealous of a Book?
by Asarikou-chan
Summary: Post Frontier. It was nothing but an annoying, nameless book but he believed that...it was doing pretty good job in stealing his brother's attention from him. And he hated it.


**Author Note**

Yeah~ A sweet one shot because I am _somehow_ happy these days XD*before going back to the gloomy atmosphere of the approaching university term*. I had written the first few paragraphs few weeks ago and completed it few days ago. I don't feel happy with the title or the summary but my mind refused to being anything else so here we go…

Please have fun and show me your opinions through that little, small box after the story hehe.

**Disclaimer: Don't own Digimon. Obviously.**

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><p><strong>Jealous of a Book?<strong>

'Kouji! Do you know where my book is?'

There was no answer to mention Kouji's existence in the living room. The TV's voice was loud enough to indicate that, though. Kouichi repeated his question for the fourth time, receiving the same silent answer which led him to raise his voice, approaching the living room with quickly increasing worry.

'Kouji!'

Kouji was sitting on the floor in front of the TV, ignoring the existence of a comforting long couch behind him and staring blankly at the screen.'Stop shouting! I can hear you.' Kouji said flatly, raising the TV's sound in boredom.

'Why didn't you answer me then? I was worried.' The elder twin pouted, shifting uncomfortably in his place and daring a look at an obviously irritated Kouji who was giving him his back coldly. It was too much unlike the other to ignore his dear _Nii-san_ or to show being annoyed for no clear reason.

The deadly silence between them stretched until Kouichi broke it worriedly. 'Kouji?'

'What?'

'Is something wrong?'

'Of course not. Why would be anything wrong? And now if you don't mind I am busy watching the movie.'

Kouichi blinked at the his brother's rude tone and looked at the TV, exclaiming.' But you have watched this one before. You said it is has a boring, clichéd plot.'

'Well, it is not now.' Kouji rolled his eyes in inconvenience and added. 'Can't you just sit quietly and read something as usual? It doesn't seem that you are doing anything other than reading these days anyway.'

Kouichi blinked in discomfort and entered the living room then sat on the couch. 'What does that suppose to mean?'

'Nothing.'

Kouichi crossed his arms as his brother's curt language started to annoy him. 'Nothing won't make you as grumpy as you are now? So what is going on?'

'And you are so annoying today, Kouichi.' Kouji glared at his twin in frustration and snapped, switching the TV off before heading towards the front door in annoyance. 'You know I will just go to Takuya's home and play some random games. At least, I would hear someone's _voice_ instead of mine only.'

The elder twin sighed, unhappy of not getting any answers as he knew better than bugging his twin with questions especially in such angry condition. 'At least tell me where my book is.'

It was Kouji's turn to sigh, giving up momentarily. 'Which one? Your room is full of them.'

'The one I was reading yesterday.'

Kouji ran his fingers above the bandana and scolded. 'The one you slept while reading it? Don't know where.'

The frowning face Kouji showed while talking to him revealed something the younger twin didn't want his brother to know as he himself didn't want to admit. Kouichi stared at his brother for good two minutes then chuckled suddenly before exploding into series of uncharacteristic giggles, collapsing on the couch. Receiving some incoherent muttering which worked as curses, he stopped laughing but didn't get rid of his thrilled features receiving an annoyed glare from the other.

'What is so funny?'

He hardly stifled his giggles this time so it took him few seconds to answer Kouji's question before laughing again. 'You.'

'Huh?'

Kouichi coughed, regaining his normal personality and feeling Kouji's readiness to explode any moment. He sat and patted the place beside him on the couch, asking Kouji silently to join him. The younger twin who was clearly irritated humphed before sitting beside his brother and crossing his arms and closing his eyes. 'What?'

'Well Kouji. I would easily understand it when you are jealous of girls at school or even my friends from elementary school but if you are _jealous_ of a book,'he paused then resumed in dramatic tone, 'that could be really dangerous, _otouto-chan_.'

Stifling silence hovered few minutes as Kouichi managed to connect the dots to understand his brother's strange behaviors. Despite Kouji's previous efforts to convince his brother that he wasn't jealous of whoever comes around his elder twin, he couldn't help but admit that he wasn't comfortable around them as if they were there to _steal_ his dear brother from him.

It needed a whole minute to process what his elder brother said in that calm, lecturing mood. He opened his mouth the shut it immediately before groaning softly, 'I don't know what you mean, Kouichi.'

'You know very well what I mean Kouji. You can't be angry or jealous because I read too much. That's illogical.'

Kouji gritted his teeth and abandoned his denial's strategy. 'You know what is illogical Kouichi?'

Kouichi's happy mood minutes ago was completely evaporated under Kouji's glare as he looked at Kouji in confusion.

Kouji added after an exasperated sigh, 'What is illogical is your reading books every damn _hour_ in this vacation. We are supposed to do something other than sitting at home.' He snapped suddenly, remembering his brother's tired face when he had slept on that book yesterday. 'Damn it, Kouichi. Your eyes and body deserve some rest!'

Kouichi looked at the floor guiltily, 'But I have to return it today and I don't have much time during school to read so I would better…'

'You'd better spend some time with _me_ instead of them. I can't bear seeing you with all those books around you every single hour. You barely sleep. And yesterday instead of talking a while with me before going to bed, you continued reading.' Kouji exploded. He had slept yesterday alone because Kouichi was busy reading the book Kouji didn't care to remember its name and when he woke up about two in the morning, he found him asleep above the book he was reading. How their mother was able to make sure his elder twin sleeps early in school days he didn't know. It was a good thing that their mother was at work or else she would prevent Kouichi from opening any of them or even going to the public library. Not that Kouji would mind such decision but it would be completely unfair for his brother and a sad Kouichi wouldn't make him happy. After all, No mother would be glad to see her child burying his eyes in a book for continuous hours instead of doing something more useful in her opinion.

'I am sorry…b-but I can't change that about me.'

'Let's call this reading a way to escape, Nii-san' Kouji narrowed his eyes sharply and murmured slowly, earning a startled look from the other who started playing with his fingers anxiously.

Kouji heaved a sigh, calming himself and turning to look at his brother, placing his hands on his shoulders gently. 'I don't mind how much you like reading. But I am _not_ here all the time and books can wait. Besides, you had always used reading to escape your troubles in the real world but now you have _me,_' he smiled kindly that special smile he keeps for his brother. 'And you can always tell me what is bothering you without simply escaping.'

Kouichi nodded slowly and returned his brother's smile.

'Well that was easier than I thought.' Kouji exclaimed as his brother chuckled softly and muttered teasingly, 'Don't give lectures when you can't follow them, Kouji. You should have talked to me instead of acting like an idiot since this morning.'

'Didn't know what to say actually.' Kouji admitted in embarrassment.

'And I was right. You are _jealous_ of my book.'

'Oh shut up!'

'But you were really jealous.'

'Wasn't'

'Was.'

'Wasn't'

'Was.'

'Why would I be jealous of it?'

'Well...Maybe because I spent more time with it than you.'

'Which is gonna change...'

Kouichi laughed at his brother's embarrassed face and agreed. 'Yeah but I can't abandon my books completely.'

'Meaning?'

Kouichi gulped in slight worry. 'What about no reading after 9 PM?

'WHAT?'Kouji cried out and sat from the couch suddenly. 'No way! Forget it.'

Kouichi looked at the floor and whimpered in a small voice. 'But that would be…unfair.' The glittering tears in his eyes were slowly falling on his cheeks as Kouji groaned , calmed down and shook his head. 'That won't work this time, Nii-san. ' How much he had hoped that his brother's clearly fake tears wouldn't work for once...

'Come on Nii-san. Don't be such a child.'

Kouichi didn't response and buried his teary face in his hands as Kouji put his arms around his shoulders comfortingly and whispered softly, 'No more than four hours a day. Deal?'

'B-but…'

'Come on Kou. I am not going to offer more.'

It was obvious that Kouji hated being forced to agree to what his brother's want under the pressure of his fake tears but he believed that Kouichi has the right to use them so far. They were always effective, he hated to admit it.

Kouichi gave a hesitant and looked at Kouji, who undid the hug, with a satisfied smile before asking so innocently, 'So where is my book?'

A roll of eyes answered him as Kouji slumped against the couch in surrender before muttering weakly. 'The second shelf in your bookcase. And I didn't mean to hide it.'

Not that he could even believe himself.


End file.
